Ignition point checking device



Feb. 10, 1942. R. c. BIBLE 2,272,902

IGNITION POINT CHECKING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1941 PEN-LITE IGNITIONBREAKER POINT FIG. I.

ROY c. BIBLE,

INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IGNITION POINTCHECKING DEVICE Roy 0. Bible, Casper, Wyo.

Application February 1, 1941,Serial No. 377,000

1 Claim.

Ihis invention relates to improvements in special tools and hasreference more particularly to a tool or device for use in checkingbreaker points on automobiles for correct alignment.

Breaker points on cars comprise a stationary and movable contactelement, the movements of the latter being controlled by means of a cammechanism. The contact side of the stationary breaker point is usuallyspherical, while the operating contact surface of the movable contact isflat. In order to give the best operation, the contact point should beso adjusted that the flat surface is tangent to the spherical surface atits center point.

Owing to the fact that these breaker points are located in such a placethat it is difficult to properly illuminate them, they are frequentlyleft in improperly adjusted positions with the result that they do notwear or function properly.

It is the object of this invention to produce a tool or devicecomprising a small incandescent lamp and an elongated reflector elementso interconnected and related to each other that when the lamp islighted, it will throw a conical beam of light forwardly in such adirection that a portion of it will strike and illuminate the adjacentsurface of the elongated reflector element. The reflector element can bepositioned at the side of the breaker points opposite from that fromwhich they are viewed and the illuminated reflector element will form aluminous background which makes the contour of the breaker pointsclearly visible and in this way the mechanic will be in position to makethe necessary adjustments to obtain the most desirable relationship ofthe breaker points.

Having thus generally outlined the objects of the invention and thegeneral construction of the device to which this invention relates, theinvention will now be described with greater detail and for this purposereference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the inventionand the manner in which it is employed have been illustrated, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, showingthe invention in use for inspecting the position of the breaker points;and

Figure 2 is a view looking downwardly onto the breaker points and showsthe illuminated element in position below the breaker points, the latterbeing shown in proper adjusted relation.

In the drawing reference numeral I0 designates the distributor housingwithin which the breaker points are positioned. The movable breakerpoint has been designated by reference numeral H and the arm to which itis attached has been designated by'reference numeral l2. Since thedistributor and the construction of the breaker points are well knownand form no part of this invention, their construction will not bedescribed in further detail.

In Figure 2 the breaker points have been shown in top plan view and moreor less diagrammatically. The stationary breaker point has beendesignated by reference numeral I3 and this is attached to an adjustablebracket l4 that is held in place by screws l5. The contact end of thestationary breaker point 13 is spherical and is positioned to cooperatewith the flat surface of the movable contact H. For the best operation,the surface of contact II should be tangent to the center of thespherical contact surface of the stationary contact as above mentioned.

In order to make the contact points clearly visible to the mechanic soas to facilitate the adjustment, I have provided a special tool whichcomprises a flashlight of the pencil type having a battery housing I6which is provided at one end with a lamp I1 and at the other with aswitch I8. A clip [9 is generally provided for the purpose of securingthe tool to the mechanics pocket. Flashlights of the type hereillustrated are in common use and when the lamp I! is lighted, a narrowconical beam of light 20 is projected from the lamp. In order to providea luminous background positioned beneath the breaker points, I haveprovided the flashlight with a reflector element which will now bedescribed.

The reflector element consists of a circular clip 2| of somewhat lessthan 360 degrees extent and of such size that it will lit the outersurface of the battery housing [6. These battery housings are nearlyalways circular, in which case the clip 2i is also circular, but if thebattery housing has some other transverse cross section the clip shouldbe correspondingly shaped. Secured to the clip and extending from oneedge thereof is a narrow elongated flexible resilient reflector element22 of approximately the length shown on the drawing. This reflectorelement is inclined towards the center axis of the clip and terminatesin an upwardly curved end portion 23. In the preferred embodiment, theelongated member 22 is made from white Celluloid, but it may be madefrom any other suitable material, such as metal or any other snytheticmaterial which is flexible and resilient, like Celluloid. The uppersurface of the refractory element should, however, be of a light colorand the best results are obtained when the surface is white. It will bereadily seen from Figures 1 and 2, that the conical beam of lightemerging from the lamp strikes the adjacent surface of the reflectorelement at an angle of incidence decreasing towards the tip of thecurved end portion 23. The result of this construction is that wheneverthe lamp is lighted, the adjacent surface of the reflector element willbe illuminated and when it is positioned beneath the breaker points inthe manner shown in Figures 1 and 2, the latter will be shown insilhouette against the white luminous surface of the reflector element.Due to the curved end portion 23, a luminous background can be providedin any space large enough to receive the tip of the reflector element.

Since the reflector element is narrow, flexible and resilient, it can beinserted into narrow openings, and bent when in use so as to adjust theangle of incidence and its relation to the object to be outlined.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the reflector element ispreferably white and that the contacts are shown in silhouette againstthe illuminated surface. The object is not to illuminate the contacts sothat they will be made visible by light reflected from the whiteCelluloid surface but rather to provide a luminous mat background asshown in Figure 6. A polished metal reflector or a glass reflector ormirror would not serve the purpose as such a surface would not providethe luminous background that is essential to a successful operation.

From the above description, taken in connection with the drawing, itwill be apparent that by means of this simple device, the relationshipof the breaker points can be readily determined as they will stand outsharply against the white background thus provided. With the breakerpoints thus clearly outlined, the mechanic will have no difliculty ineffecting the most desirable adjustment and as a result of this theignition will always function at its maximum efliciency and the contactpoints will wear in such a manner that their life and effectiveness willbe greatly increased in comparison with the improper adjustments thatare nearl always present, due to the difficulty in viewing the partsduring adjustment.

Although the invention has been described in connection with theadjustment of breaker points, it is evident that it is not limited tothis use and that it can be employed in any place where an illuminatedbackground is desirable. The tool can, for example, be used to check thecontacts of the rubbing block of the distributor am against the cam inthe same manner in which the breaker points are checked and in additionto the uses pointed out, others may be found Having described theinvention what is claimed as new is:

An article of manufacture comprising an elongated, substantiallycylindrical clip, for slidably embracing an elongated flash lighthousing, an elongated reflector element of readily bendable, resilientmaterial, projecting from one end of the clip, the reflector elementbeing outwardly tapered and having a maximum width less than thediameter of the clip, the surface facing the axis of the clip having alight colored mat finish, the reflector element being inclined towardsand intersecting the axis of the clip, the extreme end being inclined ata greater angle than the remainder of the reflecting surface.

ROY C. BIBLE.

